In many stages of the drilling and completion of an oil and gas well, tubular members may be coupled end-to-end to form what is known as a string. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “drill string” will be used to refer to any such string, including without limitation, drill strings, tool strings, casing strings, and completion strings. Typically, tubular members may be made up in approximately 30-90 foot segments, and include threaded couplings at each end. Commonly known as “box” and “pin” connections for the female and male portions, respectively, the threaded connections serve to both form a fluid seal between the tubular segments and to durably connect the adjacent tubulars.
When “making up” a drill string, multiple rotations of one of the tubulars may be required to fully engage the threads of the box with the threads of the pin. Generally, these rotations may be accomplished by use of a pipe spinner, a high speed, low torque device to quickly thread the tubular members together. After the tubulars have been connected with the low torque pipe spinner, mechanical tongs or iron roughnecks are typically used to apply high-torque to the joint to ensure a complete and durable connection by ensuring both shoulders of the box and pin fully engage. Similarly, when “breaking out” a drill string, mechanical tongs or iron roughnecks are used to provide the high torque required to initially separate the tubular segments, and a pipe spinner is used to quickly unthread the tubulars the rest of the way.
The amount of torque required to securely tighten the tubulars, known as make-up torque, may ensure the threaded connections do not separate while downhole. Such an unintended disconnection may result in costly and time-consuming “fishing” operations to retrieve the disconnected section of drill pipe, during which drilling operations must be suspended. Additionally, if excess make-up torque is applied, material yielding in the threaded connections may cause damage to the tubulars which may result in, for example, unintended separation downhole.